This invention relates to the production of business cards, name cards and the like.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of producing business cards, name cards and the like in color comprising pictures as well as or instead of text.
To produce a card in color by offset printing involves preparing artwork; preparing a positive colour transparency of the artwork; preparing color-separated positives corresponding to the colors to be printed (yellow, magenta, cyan and black); and four-colour offset printing on plain paper. This process is too costly for low-volume production, and the preparation of the artwork is usually complicated and costly.
Another process comprises contact printing on colour photographic paper. This involves paste-up of text; one-to-one reproduction into line film; one-to-one contact printing onto color photographic paper; and processing of the exposed paper. This process severely restricts the material that can be shown on the finished card, the insertion of pictures is difficult or impossible, the provision for full color text is limited, and dyeing of the film is necessary to print colored text.
In another process, a picture and text can be provided in separate areas of the card. A paste-up of text is reproduced to one-to-one into line film; a separate color negative of the product or person to be shown is made; color photographic paper is first exposed in one area, to the color negative, then another area is exposed by one-to-one contact printing of the line film; the exposed paper is then processed. This process is troublesome, and the color negative cannot be merged with the line film text, restricting creativity and design.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,839 describes a process for producing personal identity (ID) cards. The specification is primarily directed to producing a secure ID card in which a color print is bonded between a pair of vinyl sheets. The specification mentions the simultaneous photographing of the subject and descriptive matter relating to the subject. The processing of the film is described as being expeditiously accomplished using conventional instant developing, e.g. Polaroid, film.
Producing business cards in a single exposure step and developing the exposed negative either by conventional instant developing techniques, or by other processes as specified by film manufacturers often results in a final print which is of unsatisfactory quality.
U.S. Pat. No. 4 055 833 (Rothfjell) describes a method of enhancing contrast. This method involves making an image comprising only one of the basic colors of the colored photograph, the contrast of the image being enhanced so that only the areas of the subject which are most strongly colored in the basic color are reproduced. The weak shades of the selected basic color are suppressed.
The Rothfjell process involves a complex lens system using filters to suppress weakly shades of color and to enhance the strongly shaded areas of that color. The Rothfjell process emphatically teaches the use of conventional processing techniques in the development and printing of the color film.
The film of contrast enhancement taught by the Rothfjell patent is not suitable for overcoming the above mentioned problem encountered with the conventional processing film in the production of the single exposure business cards. This is because: (a) the Rothjell method only deals with the contrast of one color; and (b) the method involves the use of complex equipment and processing stages in the production of the final photograph.
An article first published in a magazine entitled "You and Your Camera" published in England by Eaglemoss Publications Limited is reproduced (subject to adaptation and re-editting) in North America by H P Books. The North American publication of 1982 bears the Library of Congress catalogue no. 82-82769. This article discusses the achievement of high-contrast images in the development of LITHO and PAN films. This article is restricted to the achievement of high-contrast in black and white film by under exposing the film or by controlling temperature.
This article gives no clues as to how contrast may be improved in color photography, and gives no hint as to how good quality photographic prints for business card use may be obtained from a single exposure of artwork which includes unwanted detail (i.e. boundary lines between similar shaded areas of the pasted-up artwork and the mounting board itself).
As discussed in considerable detail in an article entitled "Monitoring System for Procesing Koda Color [Trade Mark] II film in Kodak Flexicolor [Trade Mark]chemicals" published by Eastman Kodak Company in 1972, correctly processed negatives for color film can only be achieved according to the art by developing the film strictly in accordance with the manufacturer's specification. The document teaches that proper density, contrast and color balance can only be achieved by developing the film strictly in accordance with the manufacturers developing specifications.
In the final print of business card produced by conventional developing techniques, the subject of the business card tends not to stand out clearly from the background. A more significant problem arises from the fact that boundary lines, which are present between areas of the pasted-up artwork and similar shaded areas of the mounting board from which the single negative is obtained in a single exposure step show up in the final print. This tends to make the resulting business card look untidy.
The presence of the boundary lines and other unwanted detail arises from the fact that conventional processing techniques tend to give a relatively normal contrast between similar shades of the same color. This is desirable if it is desired to take photographs of whole scenic views (i.e. landscapes) or to take portrait photographs, where it is desirable to maintain contrast between similar shades of similar colors on the one hand while preventing excessive contrast between light and dark shades on the other hand. Excessive contrast between light and dark shades would not be desirable in, for example, a portrait because dark colors would be too prominent in the photograph while weakly shaded areas would be too feint and detail would be lost.